Chapter 1
A
Laws, Rules, and
Regulations
ccording to the National Science Education Standards, students at all grade levels
should engage in scientific inquiry to gain an understanding of scientific concepts
and acquire science process skills. They can not acquire these skills merely by reading a
textbook; in addition, they must experience meaningful investigations in laboratory and field settings.
Well-designed science facilities provide students with a safe learning environment for laboratory and
field investigations. This chapter presents requirements and recommendations for constructing science
facilities in Texas school districts. Chapter 2 presents regulations and recommendations regarding
classroom and laboratory space and accessibility for all students.
“Students at all grade levels and in every domain of science should have the
opportunity to use scientific inquiry and develop the ability to think and act in
ways associated with inquiry, including asking questions, planning and conducting
investigations, using appropriate tools and technology to gather data, thinking
critically and logically about relationships between evidence and explanations,
constructing and analyzing alternative explanations, and communicating scientific
arguments.”
National Research Council, National Science Education Standards, 1996
Curriculum-Based Designs
Designs for science facilities should be based on the requirements listed in a school district’s
educational program and on the student population that the facilities serve. Chapter 112 of the
Texas Administrative Code provides teachers with standards for science. These standards, the Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Science, specify what all students should know and be
able to do in kindergarten through grade 12 science. The TEKS are part of a district’s educational
program and provide local school districts with the foundation for their science curriculum.
The TEKS were intentionally written with active verbs—such as demonstrate, conduct, investigate,
manipulate, and observe—that make it difficult, if not impossible, for students to learn science
without doing hands-on laboratory and field investigations. Architects and engineers can use the
activities described in this chapter as a guide for designing the kinds of facilities districts require.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Elementary School Science Curriculum
The science standards for elementary school provide students with ways to explore the natural world
through curricula based on integrated relationships that exist among the science disciplines. It is
important for students to relate what they learn in science classes to what they experience outside the
school setting. School districts must provide well-designed science facilities that support students’
work in laboratory investigations involving life, earth/space, and the physical sciences.
The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) recommends that a
minimum of 60 percent of the instructional time be devoted to laboratory
investigations. However, the Texas Education Agency gives each school district
the authority to establish the percentage of time elementary students will spend
doing hands-on laboratory and field investigations.
The following information represents a summary of the content requirements for elementary
school science and can serve as a guide to the types of facilities that are necessary in order for
students to meet the state standards for science. The complete TEKS for science are included as
Appendix A.
First Grade
Kindergarten
Students participate in simple classroom and
field investigations safely to develop skills
to do scientific inquiry, and to use critical
thinking to make decisions. They use their
own senses, common tools, and models to
make observations and collect information.
In addition, they use computers and other
technology to support their investigations.
They identify components of the natural world,
including rocks, soil, and water. Students
observe changes in the seasons and in the
growth of plants and animals, and they explore
the basic needs of living organisms. They
actively participate to identify organisms and
objects; manipulate parts of objects; group
living organisms and nonliving objects; and
observe life cycles in plants and animals.
Students in first grade conduct classroom and
field investigations safely to develop skills to
do scientific inquiry, and to use critical thinking
to make decisions. They use tools, including
computers and models to observe, describe, and
measure objects and organisms.
Students measure, manipulate, and sort objects
and organisms. They distinguish, group, and
compare living organisms and nonliving
objects, identify the basic needs of living
organisms, and compare the ways in which
living organisms depend on each other.
They engage in activities to identify
components of the natural world including
streams, lakes, and oceans. They observe rocks
and soil samples; they measure changes that
result from the application of heat, that occur
during different weather and seasons, and that
occur during the life cycles of organisms.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Table 1.1
Kindergarten Laboratory Materials and Safety Equipment
Safety Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
• Eye/face washes
• Fire extinguishers
• First-aid kits
• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Safety goggles
• Safety goggle disinfecting equipment or
materials: soap and water, bleach solution, hot water
• Sinks
• Transport carts
Materials and Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Balances
• Bowls, plastic
• Computers
• Cups (paper or plastic)
• Hand lenses
Materials and equipment
• Aquarium and accessories
• Clocks
• Egg incubators
• Scissors, primary
• Terrarium and accessories
Consumables
• Aluminum foil
• Bags, plastic with zipper seals
• Construction paper
• Crayons, wax
• Nails, small
• Paste
• Potting soil
• Soil samples
• Spoons, plastic
• Strings for measurement
• Textured materials, such as sand paper, silk Audiovisuals
• Personal growth graph
1
Required tools are specified in the TEKS.
2
Recommended lists of tools were generated by analyzing the concept TEKS.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Table 1.2
First Grade Laboratory Materials and Safety Equipment
Safety Equipment
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
• Eye/face washes
• Fire extinguishers
• First-aid kits
• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Safety goggle disinfecting materials or
equipment, including soap and water, bleach solution, hot water
• Safety goggles, splash-proof
• Sinks
• Transport carts
Materials and Equipment
Living/preserved specimens
• Animals and plants
• Seeds such as peas, corn and beans
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials and equipment
• Balances
• Clocks with second hand
• Computers
• Hand lenses
• Thermometers; non-rolling,
non-mercury
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Aquarium with accessories
• Beakers, plastic, 250 mL
• Bodkin needles and thread
• Bowls, plastic
• Construction blocks
• Egg incubators
• Eyedroppers, plastic
• Geometric shapes sets, colored
• Lamps or light sources
• Magnet sets
• Metal samples, including iron
• Metric rulers
• Noise-making devices
• Terrarium and accessories
Consumables
• Aluminum foil
• Bags, plastic with zipper seals
• Bowls, plastic
• Construction paper
• Crayons, wax
• Cups (paper and plastic)
• Ice source
• Nails, small
• Measuring objects (string, paper clips,
washers)
• Paste
• Potting soil
• Rock samples
• Scissors, primary
• Spoons, plastic
• Soil samples: sand, silt, clay, loam
• Textured objects, such as sand paper, silk,
wax paper
Audiovisuals
• Pictorial graph
• Video, Sources of Water
1
Required tools are specified in the TEKS.
2
Recommended lists of tools were generated by analyzing the concept TEKS.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Second Grade
Students in second grade conduct classroom
and field investigations safely to develop skills
to do scientific inquiry, and they use critical
thinking to make decisions. They use tools
and models to observe, describe, and measure
objects and organisms. In addition, they use
computers and other technology to support
their investigations.
They identify and illustrate components and
processes of the natural world, including the
water cycle and use of the earth’s resources.
Students engage in activities to observe and
measure change that occurs during melting and
evaporation, weathering, and the pushing and
pulling of objects.
Students distinguish between the characteristics
of living organisms and nonliving objects,
compare needs of plants and animals, and
identify parts and characteristics of plants and
animals to gain an understanding of how living
organisms depend on their environments.
Third Grade
Third-grade students conduct field and
laboratory investigations safely using
environmentally appropriate and ethical
practices. Students develop skills to do
scientific inquiry, and they use information,
critical thinking, and scientific problemsolving skills to make decisions. In addition,
they use computers and other technology
to support their investigations and repeat
investigations to increase the reliability of
their results.
They identify components of the natural
world, including rocks, soil, water, and
atmospheric gases. Students participate in
activities to observe the direction and position
of objects as they are pushed and pulled,
and the movement of the Earth’s surface, as
examples of changes caused by a force. They
investigate magnetism and gravity and use
models to represent the natural world.
Students conduct activities to explore
organisms’ needs, habitats, and competition
with other organisms within the same
ecosystem. In addition, they observe
characteristics among species that allow each
species to survive and reproduce, and they
investigate how species adapt to change. They
identify inherited traits in plants and animals.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Table 1.3
Second Grade Laboratory Materials and Safety Equipment
Safety Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
• Eye/face washes
• Fire extinguishers
• First-aid kits
• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Safety goggle disinfecting materials or equipment, including soap and water,
bleach solution, hot water
• Safety goggles (splash-proof)
• Sinks
• Transport carts
Materials and Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials and equipment
• Hand lenses
• Clocks
• Computers
• Balances
• Thermometers; non-rolling,
non-mercury
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Aquarium with accessories
• Beakers, plastic, 250 mL
• Bodkin needles and thread
• Bowls, plastic
• Construction blocks
• Egg incubators
• Eyedroppers, plastic
• Geometric shapes set, colored
• Lamps or light sources
• Magnet sets
• Metal samples including iron
• Metric rulers
• Terrarium and accessories
• Noise-making devices
Living/preserved specimens
• Animals and plants
• Seeds, such as peas, corn and beans
Consumables
• Aluminum foil
• Bags, plastic with zipper seals
• Bowls, plastic
• Construction paper
• Crayons, wax
• Cups (paper and plastic)
• Ice
• Nails, small
• Measuring objects (string, paper clips,
washers)
• Paste
• Potting soil
• Rock samples
• Scissors, primary
• Spoons, plastic
• Soil samples: sand, silt, clay, loam
• Textured objects, such as sand paper, silk,
wax paper
Audiovisuals
• Graph, pictorial
• Video, Sources of Water
1
Required tools are specified in the TEKS.
2
Recommended lists of tools were generated by analyzing the concept TEKS.
10
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Table 1.4
Third Grade Laboratory Materials and Safety Equipment
Safety Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
• Eye/face washes
• Fire extinguishers
• First-aid kits
• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Safety goggle disinfecting materials or equipment, including soap and water,
bleach solution, hot water
• Safety goggles (splash-proof)
• Sinks
• Transport carts
Materials and Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials and equipment
• Balances
• Clocks
• Computers
• Hand lenses
• Measuring cups
• Meter sticks
• Rulers, metric
• Thermometers, non-mercury
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Aquarium with accessories
• Beakers, 250 mL
• Cars, toy
• Egg incubators
• Eyedroppers
• Fans, small
• Flashlights
• Light sources
• Magnet sets
• Musical instruments, rhythm band
• Nails and hammers
• Rock sample sets: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic
• Terrarium and accessories
• Thermometers, outdoor
1
2
Consumables
• Aluminum foil
• Bags, plastic with zipper seals
• Construction paper
• Crayons, wax
• Cups (paper)
• Measuring objects (paper clips, string,
washers, bolts)
• Nails, small
• Paste
• Scissors, primary
• Potting soil
• Spoons, plastic
• Soil samples: clay, loam, silt, sand
Living/preserved specimens
• Animals and plants
• Seeds such as peas, corn and beans
Audiovisuals
Charts
• Constellation
• Growth
• Water cycle
• Wind speed
Required tools are specified in the TEKS.
Recommended lists of tools were generated by analyzing the concept TEKS.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
11
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
Students conduct laboratory and field
investigations safely using environmentally
appropriate and ethical practices to do scientific
inquiry. They use critical thinking and scientific
problem-solving skills to make informed
decisions. In addition, students use computers
and other technology to collect and analyze
information and repeat investigations to
increase the reliability of their results.
They identify components and processes in the
natural world, including properties of soils,
effects of the oceans on land, and the role of the
Sun as the major source of energy. In addition,
students identify the physical properties
of matter and observe that the addition or
reduction of heat can cause changes in states of
matter.
Students learn the roles of living and nonliving
components in a simple system and investigate
the differences between learned characteristics
and inherited traits. They identify species of
organisms that lived in the past and compare
them to existing species.
Students conduct field and laboratory
investigations safely according to
environmentally appropriate and ethical
practices and using tools and methods to do
science inquiry. They use scientific methods
and critical thinking and scientific problemsolving skills to make informed decisions.
In addition, they use computers and other
technology to support their investigations and
repeat investigations to increase the reliability
of their results.
They conduct activities to identify structures
and functions of Earth systems including the
crust, mantle, and core; and they investigate the
effects of weathering on landforms.
Students learn how some past events have
affected present events by exploring growth,
erosion, and dissolution. They conduct
activities to investigate magnetism, physical
states of matter, and conductivity as ways
of classifying matter. In addition, they learn
about forms of energy, such as light, heat, and
electricity.
Other activities include learning about
adaptations that can improve the survival of
members of a species, exploring an organism’s
niche within an ecosystem, and discovering a
variety of traits that are inherited by offspring,
as well as other characteristics that are learned.
1
Required tools (materials and equipment) are specified in the TEKS.
2
Recommended lists of tools (materials and equipment) were generated by analyzing the concept TEKS.
12
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Table 1.5
Fourth Grade Laboratory Materials and Safety Equipment
Safety Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
• Eye/face washes
• Fire blankets
• Fire extinguishers
• First-aid kits
• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Safety goggle disinfecting materials or
equipment
• Safety goggles (splash-proof)
• Sinks
• Transport carts
Materials and Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials and equipment
• Balances
• Calculators
• Cameras, disposable
• Clocks with second hand
• Compasses, magnetic
• Computers
• Meter sticks
• Microscopes, stereoscopic
• Rulers, metric
• Sound recorders
• Thermometers, non-mercury
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Aquarium with accessories
• Electric circuit kits
• Beakers, plastic, graduated
250 mL and 1000 mL
• Graphing mats
• Hot plates
• Incubators, egg
• Lamps, aluminum reflector
• Magnet sets
• Mirrors, plastic
• Scissors
• Spinning tops with pump action
• Rocks, limestone samples
• Terrarium with accessories
• Thermometers, outdoor
• Weather vanes
Living/preserved specimens
• Animals and plants
• Seeds, such as peas, corn and beans
Consumables
• Aluminum foil
• Bags, plastic, with zipper seal
• Clay, modeling
• Construction paper
• Crayons, wax
• Cups (paper)
• Glue, school
• Nails, small
• Paste
• Pencils, colored
• Potting soil
• Salt and water for concentrations
• Soil samples: clay, loam, sand, silt
• Spoons, plastic
• Straws
• Sugar cubes
Audiovisuals
Charts
• Water cycle • Constellations
• Clouds
• Butterfly life cycle
• Wind speed • Dinosaurs
• Vinegar
• Geologic time table
Videos
• Streams and rivers
• Volcanoes
• Tides and hurricanes
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
13
Table 1.6
Fifth Grade Laboratory Materials and Safety Equipment
Safety Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
• Aprons
• Eye/face washes
• Fire blankets
• Fire extinguishers
• First-aid kits
• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Safety goggle disinfecting materials or
equipment
• Safety goggles (splash-proof)
• Sinks
• Transport carts
Materials and Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials and equipment
• Balances, triple beam
• Calculators
• Cameras, disposable
• Clocks
• Collecting nets
• Compasses, magnetic
• Computers
• Hand lenses
• Hot plates
• Magnets
• Meter sticks
• Microscopes, stereoscopic
• Rulers, metric
• Sound recorders
• Thermometers, non-mercury
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Aquarium with accessories
• Egg incubators
• Electric kits: knife-blade switch, lamp
and base, electric bell, copper wire, nail
• Beakers, plastic, graduated, 400 mL
• Beakers, Pyrex, graduated
250 mL
600 mL
• Burners, propane, or Bunsen burners
• Conductometers
• Cylinders, graduated, 100 mL
• Eyedroppers
• Iron filings
• Lamps with aluminum reflector
• Lenses, 2, convex
• Mineral sets
• Mirrors
• Prisms
• Rock sets: sedimentary, igneous, and
metamorphic
• Rubber hammers
• Scissors
• Terrarium
• Thermometers, outdoor
• Tuning forks
(table continues)
14
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Table 1.6­—Continued
Materials and Equipment
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
Consumables
• Aluminum foil
• Bags, plastic, with zipper seal
• Baking soda
• Batteries, dry cell, 6 volt
• Beef bouillon cubes
• Coal
• Coffee cans with lids
• Construction paper
• Fertilizers
• Glue, school
• Ice
• Paper, simple graphing
• Pencils, colored
• pH paper (vials)
• Pots, plants
• Potting soil
• Salt
• Solar tinting sheets for windows
• Spoons, plastic
• Sugar
• Vinegar
Living/preserved specimens
• Animals and plants
• Seeds, such as peas, corn and beans
• Tree ring samples
Audiovisuals
Models
• Geologic cross-cut diagram
• Globe, Earth
• Globe, lunar
• Planetarium, hand-held
Charts
• Water cycle
• Carbon cycle
• Coal and oil formation
• Life cycle of tree
• Lunar phases
• Nitrogen cycle
• Tidal schedule
Videos
• Adaptive characteristics of organisms
• Rain forest
• Serengeti
1
Required tools are specified in the TEKS.
2
Recommended lists of tools were generated by analyzing the concept TEKS.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
15
Middle School Science Curriculum
Middle school students continue to learn and experience science through an integrated curriculum
at each grade level. Science facilities must be flexible to support a curriculum that, within a single
school year, requires students to conduct investigations in life science, earth/space science, and the
physical sciences. As with elementary students, it is important for middle school students to be able
to see the connection between what they learn in science classes and the science they experience
outside the school setting.
The Texas Education Agency gives each school district the authority to establish
the percentage of instructional time that middle school students spend doing
hands-on laboratory and field investigations. NSTA recommends that middle
school students spend 80 percent of their time in the science classroom doing
these kinds of activities.
The following information represents a summary of the content requirements for middle school
science and can serve as a guide to the types of facilities that are necessary in order for students to
meet the state standards for science. The complete science TEKS are included in Appendix A.
Sixth Grade
Students use environmentally appropriate,
ethical, and safe practices to conduct field
and laboratory investigations. They use a
variety of scientific methods and tools to
collect and analyze data, record information,
and make informed decisions using critical
thinking and scientific problem-solving
skills. They use computers and information
technology to support their scientific
investigations.
Students classify substances according to their
chemical properties and identify the water
cycle and decay of a biomass as examples of
the interactions that can occur between matter
and energy. They identify life processes and
the relationships between the structure and
function of organisms.
Students identify components of the solar
system, including the Sun, planets, moon,
and asteroids, and learn how seasons and
the length of day are caused by the tilt and
rotation of the Earth as it orbits the Sun.
They investigate the rock cycle and identify
sources of water in a watershed. In addition,
students engage in activities to identify
changes in objects­—including their position,
direction, and speed­—when acted upon by a
force.
16
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Table 1.7
Sixth Grade Laboratory Materials and Safety Equipment
Safety Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
• Aprons
• Eye/face washes
• Fire blankets
• Fire extinguishers
• First-aid kits
• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Safety goggles (splash-proof)
• Safety goggle disinfecting materials or
equipment
• Sinks
• Transport carts
Materials and Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials and equipment
• Balances, triple beam
• Beakers, plastic, graduated
100 mL
250 mL
400 mL
• Calculators
• Compasses, magnetic
• Computer probes
• Computers
• Field equipment
• Graduated cylinders, graduated
10 mL
100 mL
• Hot plates
• Magnets
• Meter sticks
• Microscopes
• Petri dishes
• Safety goggles
• Spring scales
• Telescopes
• Test tubes
• Thermometers, non-mercury
• Timing devices
• Weather instruments
• outdoor
• thermometer • barometer • sling psychrometer
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Aquarium with accessories
• Electric generators
• Electric fans
• Eye droppers
• Inclined planes with force mechanism
• Insect collecting nets
• Insect anesthetizing jars
• Insect pins
• Lamps with aluminum reflectors
• Metric rulers
• Microscope slides, blank
• Microscope slides, depression
• Microscope cover slips
• Plant presses
• Rock samples: sedimentary, igneous, and
metamorphic
• Scissors
• Steam engines
• Stirring rods
• Terrarium with accessories
• Test tube holders
• Test tube racks
• Thermometers, outdoor
• Water filtering kits
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
(table continues)
17
Table 1.7—Continued
Materials and Equipment
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
Audiovisuals
Videos and CD-ROMs
• Mountain Building
• Volcanic activity
• Solar system: meteorites, comets, and asteroids
• Space travel
Game
• Food webs
Charts and transparencies
• Energy pyramid
• Rock cycle
• Atmospheric composition
• Clouds
• Composing
• Food pyramid
• Human organ systems
• Production of energy for human use
• Solar system
Models
• Animal cell
• Globe, Earth
• Human torso
• Lung
• Plant cell
• Planetarium showing tilt of Earth
• Planetarium, illuminated, hand-held
Consumables
• Aluminum foil
• Bags, plastic, with zipper seal
• Brush, artist
• Clay, modeling
• Compost pile
• Construction paper
• Glue, school
• Herbarium paper
• Herbarium paste
• Kitchen chemicals
• lemon juice
• vinegar
• baking soda
• ammonia
• liquid detergent
• carbonated drink
• tea
• coffee
• pH paper or litmus paper
• Pans, aluminum pie
• Paper, simple graphing
• Pencils, colored
• Plant pots
• Potting soil
• Spoons (plastic)
Living/preserved specimens
• Mealworms, aquatic snails, or earthworms
• Plant seeds
• Microscope slides, prepared
• muscle cells
• blood cells
• nerve cells
• plant and animal
• chromosomes, stained
1
2
18
Required tools are specified in the TEKS.
Recommended lists of tools were generated by analyzing the concept TEKS.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Seventh Grade
Eighth Grade
Students use environmentally appropriate,
ethical, and safe practices to conduct field and
laboratory investigations. They use a variety
of scientific methods and tools to collect and
analyze data, record information, and make
informed decisions using critical thinking
and scientific problem-solving skills. They
use computers and information technology to
support their scientific investigations.
Students use environmentally appropriate,
ethical, and safe practices to conduct field and
laboratory investigations. They use scientific
methods and tools to collect and analyze
data, record information, and make informed
decisions using critical thinking and scientific
problem-solving skills. They use computers
and information technology to support their
scientific investigations.
Students identify gravity and phases of the
moon as components of the solar system and
explore the effects on the Earth of events such
as hurricanes. Students conduct activities
using pulleys and levers to understand the
relationship between force and motion and then
relate that concept to processes found in the
human organism. In addition, they investigate
the chemical and physical properties of
substances, and identify the physical properties
of elements in order to understand their
placement on the periodic table.
Students investigate the ways in which the
Earth’s systems have been altered by human
activities and natural events; learn about cycles
within the Earth’s systems by exploring lunar
and rock cycles; and explore interactions in
matter and energy found in solar, weather, and
ocean systems.
Students learn about kinetic and potential
energy and identify photosynthesis as an
example of the transformation of radiant
energy to chemical energy. They investigate
systems in humans to identify their structure
and functions, and compare asexual and sexual
reproduction to illustrate that genetic materials
are responsible for dominant and recessive
traits in organisms.
They examine information on the periodic
table to learn how elements are grouped into
families. In addition, students demonstrate
exothermic and endothermic reactions.
Students learn that stars and galaxies are part of
the universe, describe distance in terms of light
years, and research scientific theories of the
origin of the universe.
Students participate in activities in which
they predict results from different genetic
combinations and explore the extinction of
some species of organisms.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
19
Table 1.8
Seventh Grade Laboratory Materials and Safety Equipment
Safety Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
• Aprons
• Eye/face washes
• Fire blankets
• Fire extinguishers
• First-aid kits
• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Safety goggle disinfecting materials or
equipment
• Safety goggles, splash-proof
• Sinks
• Transport cart
Materials and Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials and equipment
• Balances, triple beam
• Beakers, plastic
100 mL
250 mL
400 mL
• Calculators
• Compasses, magnetic
• Computer probes
• Computers
• Dissecting kits
• Field equipment
• Graduated cylinders
10 mL
100 mL
• Hot plates
• Magnets
• Meter sticks
• Microscopes, compound
• Plant presses
• Petri dishes
• Spring scales, 10 N
• Telescopes
• Test tubes
• Thermometers, non-mercury
• Timing devices
• Weather instruments
•outdoor thermometer
•barometer,
•sling psychrometer
•wind vane
•rain gauge
Materials
and Equipment2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Aquarium with accessories
• Anemometers
• Bottles, thermos
• Brushes, beaker
• Carts, mechanical or dynamic
• Dropping Bottles
• Eyedroppers
• Flasks, Erlenmeyer, 1000 mL
• Herbarium paper
• Herbarium paste
• Insect nets
• Insect anesthetizing jars
• Insect pins
• Lamps with aluminum reflector
• Lever system kits (using meter sticks)
• Metric rulers
(table continues)
20
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Table 1.8—Continued
Materials and Equipment
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Microscope cover slips, plastic
• Microscope slides
• Microscope slides, depression
• Pulley kits with suspension system
• Respirometers
• Stirring rods, glass
• Stethoscopes
• Stream table kits
• Terrarium with accessories
• Test tube holders
• Test tube racks
• Thermometers, oral, disposable sleeves
• Tracks, potential and kinetic
Living/preserved specimens
• Fish and other animals
• Paramecia and other protists
• Seeds, bulbs, plant cuttings, rhizomes
• Microscope slides, prepared
• blood cells
• sperm cells
• cheek cells
Audiovisuals
Books
• Field guides: wildflowers,
insects, etc.
CD-ROM or Video
• Emergence of seeds
• Flow of blood
Charts
• Asexual and sexual reproduction
• Ecological succession
• Human body system (digestive, circulatory)
• Periodic Table of Elements
• Photosynthesis
• Renewable/non-renewable/
inexhaustible energy
• Solar system
Models
• Cell
• Human skeleton
• Human torso
• Lung demonstration
• Planetarium, hand-held
Consumables
Materials
• Bags, plastic, with zipper seal
• Pots
• Soil samples
• Steel wool bundles
• Wood splints
Chemicals
• Iron filings
• Sulfur
1
2
Required tools are specified in the TEKS.
Recommended lists of tools were generated by analyzing the concept TEKS.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
21
Table 1.9
Eighth Grade Laboratory Materials and Safety Equipment
Safety Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
• Aprons
• Eye/face washes
• Fire blankets
• Fire extinguishers
• First-aid kits
• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Safety goggles, splash-proof
• Safety goggle disinfecting materials or
equipment
• Sinks
• Transport carts
Materials and Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
Materials and equipmentpments and Ma
• Balances, triple beam
• Beakers
100 mL
250 mL
400 mL
• Calculators
• Computer probes
• Computers
• Dissecting kits
• Field equipment
• Graduated cylinders
10 mL
100 mL
• Hot plates
• Meter sticks
• Microscopes, compound
• Petri dishes
• Spring scales, 10 N
• Telescopes
• Test tubes, 20 mL
• Thermometers, non-mercury
• Timing devices
• Water test kits
• Weather instruments
Materials and equipment
• Anemometers
• Aquarium and accessories
• Astrolabes
• Collision ball demonstrator
• Eyedroppers
• Flasks, 1000 mL
• Herbarium paper
• Herbarium paste
• Inclined planes, Hall’s carriage,
weight hangers and slotted weights
• Insect anesthetizing jars
• Insect nets
• Insect pins
• Lamps with aluminum reflector
• Metric rulers
• Microscope cover slips
• Microscope slides
• Microscope slides, depression
• Plant presses
• Rain gauge
• Rock types sets
• Sling psychrometers
• Slinky and wave demonstration ropes
• Static electricity kits
• Stirring rods
(table continues)
22
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Table 1.9—Continued
Materials and Equipment
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Stream table and accessories
• Terrarium with accessories
• Test tube holders
• Test tube racks
• Thermometers, oral, disposable sleeves
• Thermometers, outdoor
• Wind vanes
Living/preserved specimens
• Invertebrates, such as brine shrimp
• Plants, various
• Seeds with known genetic ratios
Consumables
Materials
• Bags, plastic, with zipper seal
• Potting soil
Chemicals
• Baking soda
• Calcium chloride
• Nitric acid, dilute
• Phenol red
• Sulfuric acid, dilute
• Vinegar
Audiovisuals
Books
• Field guides
Charts
• Earth’s climatic zones
• Earth’s prevailing winds
• Lunar cycle
• Nitrogen, carbon, and water cycles
• Ocean currents
• Periodic table of elements
• Tides
Globe
• Earth
Map
• Northern Hemisphere
1
Required tools are specified in the TEKS.
2
Recommended lists of tools were generated by analyzing the concept TEKS.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
23
High School Science Curriculum
High school science courses beyond Integrated Physics and Chemistry concentrate less on integrated
relationships among the science disciplines and more on a single discipline of science­, although
some integration is present. For example, Biology focuses on life science, but some of the essential
knowledge and skills in the course require students to use chemistry, physics, and earth science.
School districts must support this discipline-focused curriculum by providing well-equipped
laboratories where student-centered activities in biology, chemistry, physics, and the earth/space
sciences can occur.
The Texas Administrative Code requires that at least 40 percent of the
instructional time in all secondary science courses consist of laboratory and field
work during which students apply appropriate scientific inquiry techniques.
The following information represents a summary of the content requirements for high school science
courses and can serve as a guide to the types of facilities that are necessary in order for students to
do the work required by the state curricular standards for science. The complete Science TEKS are
included as Appendix A.
Integrated Physics and Chemistry
Students use safe, environmentally appropriate,
and ethical practices to conduct field and
laboratory investigations. They use a variety
of scientific methods and make informed
decisions using critical thinking and scientific
problem-solving skills.
They investigate concepts of force and motion
by exploring systems, Newton’s laws, changes
in force, and mechanical advantage and
efficiency in simple machines. In addition,
they demonstrate the effects of waves by
investigating wave types and characteristics,
wave interactions, uses of electromagnetic
waves, and applications of acoustic principles.
Students explore the impact of energy
transformations by investigating the
movement of heat through solids, liquids,
and gases, analyzing the efficiency of energy
conversions, comparing the economic and
environmental impacts of using energy,
measuring conductivity in materials, comparing
24
parallel and series circuits, analyzing electric
current and magnetic field in electromagnets,
and analyzing effects of heating and cooling
processes.
They understand the effects of changes in
matter when engaged in activities that allow
them to distinguish between physical and
chemical changes, analyze energy changes
in chemical reactions, analyze the economic
and environmental impact of the end products
of chemical reactions, investigate the law of
conservation of mass, and describe types of
nuclear reactions.
In addition, students investigate solution
chemistry by exploring water as a universal
solvent, relating the concentration of ions
to a chemical’s physical and chemical
properties, simulating effects of acid rain, and
demonstrating how various factors influence
solubility and the rate at which substances
dissolve.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Table 1.10
Integrated Physics and Chemistry Laboratory Materials and Safety Equipment
Safety Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
• Aprons
• Eye/face washes
• Fire blankets
• Fire extinguishers
• First-aid kits
• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Safety goggles, splash-proof
• Safety goggle disinfecting materials or
equipment
• Sinks
• Transport cart
Materials and Equipment
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Alligator clips for electric circuits
• Ammeters
• Beakers
100 mL
250 mL
600 mL
1000 mL
2000 mL
• Balances, triple beam
• Balls and rings
• Bimetallic strips
• Bunsen burners with wing tips
• Copper-insulated wire
• Calculators, graphing
• Clocks
• Computers
• Computer probes (light and sound,
temperature, magnetic, and photogate)
• Conductivity testers
• Conductometers
• Cork borer set and sharpener
• Cylinders, graduated
10 mL
100 mL
1000 mL
• Density block sets
• Dropping bottles
• Dynamic carts
• Eyedroppers
• Flasks, Erlenmeyer
250 mL
1000 mL
2000 mL
• Friction blocks
• Friction pads, fur
• Friction pads, silk
• Friction pads, wool
• Funnels, short-stem
• Hall’s Carriages
• Hammers, rubber
• Hot plates
• Inclined planes with pulley attachment
• Interference tubes
• Knife blade switches
• Lamps with aluminum reflectors
• Lamps base and bulbs for circuits
• Lever system kits (using meter sticks)
• Magnets, pair of bar
• Mass sets, hooked
(table continues)
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
25
Table 1.10—Continued
Materials and Equipment
Materials
and Equipment2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Meter sticks
• Metric rulers
• Mortars and pestles
• Optics kits
• Optics bench kits
• Overflow cans
• Pith balls, pair, coated in graphite
and metal
• Polarized lens sets
• Power supplies (or dry cell battery)
• Prisms
• Protractors
• Pulley kits with suspension system
• Resonance apparatuses
• Ring stands with 4” ring
• Ripple tank generators for overhead
projector
• Rods, glass
• Rods, rubber
• Scales, spring, 2.5 N capacity
• Scales, spring, 10 N capacity
• Samples: elements, compounds,
and mixtures
• Sets of substances of varying densities
• Slinky springs
• Solar cells
• Spatulas
• Spectroscopes, quantitative analysis
• Steel spheres
• Stirring rods
1
2
26
• Stopwatches
• Stoppers, rubber and cork (assorted)
• Test tube holders
• Test tube racks
• Test tubes, 15 x 125 mm
• Test tubes, 20 x 150 mm
• Thermometers, metal back, alcohol
• Tongs, beaker
• Triangular files
• Tuning fork sets, various frequencies
• Tuning forks, same frequency
• Wash bottles, plastic
• Watch glasses
• Wave demonstration springs
• Voltmeters
• Wire screens, ceramic centered
Living/preserved specimens
• Microorganisms for acid rain investigation
Consumables
• Iron filings
• Litmus paper, vials
• pH paper, vials
• Salt for density solutions
Audiovisuals
• Periodic Table of Elements chart
Required and recommended safety equipment are specified in the law.
Recommended lists of tools were generated by analyzing the concept TEKS.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Biology
Chemistry
Students use safe, environmentally appropriate,
and ethical practices to conduct field and
laboratory investigations. They use a variety
of scientific methods and make informed
decisions using critical thinking and scientific
problem-solving skills.
Students use safe, environmentally appropriate,
and ethical practices to conduct field and
laboratory investigations. They use a variety
of scientific methods and make informed
decisions using critical thinking and scientific
problem-solving skills.
They investigate cells as the basic structures
of all living things and learn that cells have
specialized parts that perform specific
functions. They engage in activities to identify
cell parts and cellular processes, understand the
differences in structure and function between
living cells and viruses, and explore the role of
bacteria in maintaining health.
They investigate physical and chemical
properties and determine compressibility,
structure, motion of particles, shape, and
volume of solids, liquids, and gases. Students
investigate mixtures and pure substances and
use the periodic table to describe an element’s
physical and chemical characteristics.
Students conduct investigations to discover
how organisms grow and how specialized
cells, tissues, and organs develop. They
compare cells from plants and animals, identify
cell differentiation, and sequence levels of
organization in multicellular organisms.
In addition, they learn about the structures and
functions of nucleic acids in the mechanisms
of genetics. They also learn about the theory of
biological evolution by identifying changes in
species’ DNA and examining other evidence.
Students practice taxonomy by collecting
and classifying organisms, analyzing
relationships among organisms, and identifying
characteristics of a hierarchical classification
system.
Investigations conducted by students further
their understanding of metabolic processes and
energy transfers that occur in living organisms,
as they explore the structures and functions
of biomolecules, compare photosynthesis to
respiration, identify the effects of enzymes
on food, and analyze matter and energy at
different trophic levels.
Further investigations engage students with
an understanding that living systems are
found within other living systems, organisms
maintain homeostasis, and interdependence and
interactions occur within an ecosystem.
Students conduct investigations to observe
energy transformations that occur during
physical and chemical changes in matter. They
engage in activities to identify changes in
matter, and measure energy transformations
and the influence of heat energy on the
properties of liquids, solids, and gases.
In addition, they explore atomic structure as
determined by nuclear composition, allowable
electron cloud, and subatomic particles, as
well as variables that influence the behavior
of gases. Students participate in activities that
help them understand how atoms form bonds to
acquire a stable arrangement of electrons.
They actively engage in activities to
demonstrate common oxidation reactions, use
balanced chemical equations to interpret and
describe interactions of matter, and investigate
factors that influence the solubility of solutes in
a solvent.
Students conduct investigations to understand
the relationships among the concentration,
electrical conductivity, and colligative
properties of solutions, as well as the properties
of acids and bases; and they discover the
factors involved in chemical reactions.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
27
Table 1.11
Biology Laboratory Materials and Safety Equipment
Safety Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
• Aprons
• Eye/face washes
• Fire blankets
• Fire extinguishers
• First-aid kits
• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Safety goggles, splash-proof
• Safety goggle disinfecting materials or
equipment
• Transport carts
• Sinks
Materials and Equipment
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Aquarium with accessories
• Autoclaves
• Balances, triple beam
• Beakers, Pyrex
100 mL
250 mL
400 mL
600 mL
1000 mL
2000 mL
• Bird feeders
• Bunsen burners
• Brushes, flask
• Brushes, beaker
• Calculators, graphing
• Clamps, pinch
• Clocks with second hand
• Computer probes
• Computers, resident
• Cork borer sets and sharpeners
• Cylinders, graduated
10 mL
100 mL
500 mL
• Dichotomous keys
• Dishes, culture
• Dissecting kits
28
• Dissecting pans
• Dropping bottles, 10 mL
• Eyedroppers
• Files, triangular
• Flasks, Erlenmeyer
125 mL
250 mL
500 mL
1000 mL
2000 mL
• Funnels, short-stem
• Herbarium labels
• Herbarium paper
• Herbarium paste
• Hot plates
• Incubators for eggs
• Incubator ovens
• Inoculating loops
• Insect anesthetizing jars
• Insect nets
• Insect pins
• Lenses, hand
• Meter sticks
• Metric rulers
• Microscopes, compound and stereo
• Microscope cover slips, plastic
• Microscope slides
• Microscope slides, depression
• Mortars and pestles
(table continues)
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Table 1.11—Continued
Materials and Equipment
Materials
and Equipment 2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Pens, wax, marking
• Petri dishes
• Pipets, graduated
1 mL
5 mL
10 mL
• Plant presses
• Pots, planting, plastic
• Ring stands
• Ring stand clamps
• Spatulas, 4”, stainless steel
• Sphygmomanometers
• Stethoscopes
• Stirrers, magnetic
• Stirring rods, glass
• Stoppers, rubber, assorted
• Survey collections, animals
• Survey collections, plants
• Terrarium with accessories
• Test tube baskets
• Test tube brushes, regular
• Test tube brushes, small
• Test tube holders
• Test tubes, Pyrex, 20 x 150 mm
• Test tubes, Pyrex, 10 x 75 mm
• Test tube racks
• Thermometers, oral, disposable sleeves
• Thermometers, alcohol 10o –110o C
• Tongs, beaker
• Trays, dissecting
• Tubing, dialysis
Living/preserved specimens
• Aquatic plants, Elodea
• Brine shrimp
• Cultures
• Bacillus cereus
• Bacillus subtilis
• Escherichia coli
1
2
• Protist cultures
• Seeds for DNA studies
• Slides, prepared
• animal cells and tissues
• plant cells and tissues
• Yeast suspension
Consumables
• Agar plates, starch • Lamp with reflector
• Cotton swabs
• Milk
• Food coloring
• Nitrogen fertilizer
• Food products
• Scissors
• Kidney, fresh • Starch
Audiovisuals
CD-ROMs and videos
• Cell structure and function
• Classification
• Evolution processes
• Body systems
• Meiosis
• Mitosis
• Plant anatomy and physiology
• Photosynthesis
• Planting flats, plastic
Charts
• Bacteria
• Human body systems
• Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
• Viruses
• Cycles (carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and water)
Models
• DNA structure and protein synthesis
activity kits
• Human torso
• Meiosis
• Mitosis
• Variation and evolution kits
Required and recommended safety equipment are specified in the law.
Recommended lists of tools were generated by analyzing the concept TEKS.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
29
Table 1.12
Chemistry Laboratory Materials and Safety Equipment
Safety Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials
and Equipment2
Recommended
• Aprons
• Eye/face washes
• Fire blankets
• Fire extinguishers
• First-aid kits
• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Safety goggles, splash-proof
• Safety goggle disinfecting materials or equipment
• Sinks
• Transport carts
Materials and Equipment
Materials
and Equipment2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Balances, electronic
• Barometers
• Beakers, graduated
• 100 mL
• 250 mL
• 400 mL
• 600 mL
• 1000 mL
• Bottles, dropper, 10 mL
• Bottles, dropper, 30 mL
• Burets, 50 mL
• Burners, Bunsen or Tirrill
• Calculators, graphing
• Calorimeters
• Centrifuges
• Ceramic squares
• Clamps
• test tube
• 3-prong jaw
• buret, double
• pinch
• utility
• Clocks
• Cobalt-blue glass
• Computers
• Computer probes
• temperature
• pH
• barometric pressure
• Geiger Miller tube
• Condensers
• Conductivity apparatuses
• Condensers
• Cork borers
• Crucibles
• Crucible covers
• Cups, plastic foam, 16 oz.
• Cylinders, graduated
• 10 mL
• 50 mL
• 100 mL
• 1000 mL
• Cutters, metal
• DC sources, 0–12 v., 5 amp with leads
• Desiccators
• Droppers, medicine
• Droppers, pipet
• Drying ovens
• Electrolysis apparatuses
• Evaporating dishes
(table continues)
30
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Table 1.12—Continued
Materials and Equipment
Materials
and Equipment2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Files, triangular
• Flasks, distilling, 250 mL
• Flasks, filter, 500 mL
• Flasks, volumetric
100 mL
1000 mL
250 mL
500 mL
• Flasks, Erlenmeyer
100 mL
1000 mL
250 mL
500 mL
• Funnels, long-stem
• Funnels, short-stem
• Geiger counters
• Hot plates
• Lighters, burner
• Magnetic stirrers
• Meter sticks
• Molecular model sets
• Mortars and pestles
• pH meters, handheld
• Pencils, glass marking
• Pipets, graduated, glass
1 mL
5 mL
10 mL
• Ring supports with clamps: 2” and 4”
• Ring stands, 20”
• Ring stand screens
• Rubber bands, small
• Rubber policemen
• Rubber suction bulbs
• Rulers, metric
• Spatulas/scopulas
• Spectrophotometers
• Spectroscopes
• Spectrum tubes
• Spectrum tube power supplies
• Spot plates
• Stirring rods, glass
• Stoppers, cork, assorted
• Stoppers, rubber, 1-hole and 2-hole, assorted
• Stoppers, rubber, solid, assorted
• Test tube holders
• Test tube racks
• Test tubes, large
• Test tubes, medium
• Test tubes, small
• Thermometers, -20 to 150° C
• Thermometers, electronic
• Tongs, crucible
• Tongs, beaker
• Triangles, 1 1/2”, clay-covered
• Tubing, plastic, connecting
• Tubing, rubber, connecting
• Tubing, capillary, glass, melting point
• Tubing, glass, assorted
• Tubing, rubber, 1/4” ID
• Tweezers or forceps
• Wash bottles, plastic
• Watch glasses
• Weighing bottles
• Wire gauze, ceramic centers, 5” x 5”
• Wire, nichrome or platinum
Consumables
• Litmus, red & blue vials
• Paper, chromatography
• Paper, filter, assorted sizes
• Paper, pH, vials
• Parafilm, roll
Audiovisuals
Charts
• Common ions
• Oxidation-reduction potential
• Periodic table of elements
• Spectrum
1
Required and recommended safety equipment are specified in the law.
2
Recommended lists of tools were generated by analyzing the concept TEKS.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
31
Advanced High School Courses
Physics
Students use safe, environmentally appropriate,
and ethical practices to conduct field and
laboratory investigations. They use scientific
methods and make informed decisions using
critical thinking and scientific problem-solving
skills.
They investigate the laws governing motion
by analyzing uniform and accelerated motion,
exploring the effects of forces on motion,
and developing free-body diagrams for force
analysis.
Students conduct investigations in which they
explore changes that occur within a physical
system, observe kinetic and potential energy,
and learn the influence of mass and distance on
gravitational forces.
They actively engage in activities in which they
learn about the laws of thermodynamics; they
examine the characteristics and behavior of
waves by propagating waves in various types
of media; and they describe simple examples of
quantum physics by explaining the line spectra
from gas-discharging tubes.
Chapter 112 of the Texas Administrative Code
identifies additional courses for school districts
to consider when developing a well-balanced
science program. These include Environmental
Systems, Aquatic Science, Astronomy, and
Geology, Meteorology, and Oceanography.
In addition, Advanced Placement® (AP) and
the International Baccalaureate® (IB) courses
should be available to challenge students. In
both AP and IB courses, specific laboratory
investigations are strongly recommended for
students prior to their taking end-of-course
examinations.
AP Courses
IB Courses
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Environmental
Science
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Environmental
Systems
Other High Schools Courses for Science Credit
The Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 121 (Health Science Technology Education) and Chapter
123 (Technology Education/Industrial Technology Education) identify additional courses for which
students may receive high school science credits. These courses require that at least 40 percent of
the instructional time consist of laboratory and field investigations during which students apply
appropriate scientific inquiry methods. Therefore, school districts must provide well-designed and
well-equipped facilities in order for students to meet the requirements of these courses.
Health Science Technology Education
Scientific Research and Design
Anatomy and Physiology of Human Systems
Medical Microbiology
Pathophysiology
32
Technology Education and
Industrial Technology Education
Principles of Technology I
Principles of Technology II
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Table 1.13
Physics Laboratory Materials and Safety Equipment
Safety Equipment
1
Materials
and Equipment
Required
Materials
and Equipment2
Recommended
• Aprons
• Eye/face washes
• Fire blankets
• Fire extinguishers
• First-aid kits
• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Safety goggles, splash-proof
• Safetygoggle disinfecting materials or equipment
• Sinks
• Transport carts
Materials and Equipment
Materials
and Equipment2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Ammeters, triple range
• Balances, triple beam
• Balls and rings
• Beakers, Pyrex, 400 mL
• Beakers, Pyrex, 600 mL
• Bimetallic strips
• Bunsen Burners
• Calculators, graphing
• Calipers, micrometer
• Calipers, vernier
• Calorimeters
• Carts, dynamics set
• Cathode ray tubes, sealed, with screen
• Clamps (4”)
• Clocks
• Cloud chambers
• Collision apparatuses, two dimensions
• Compasses, magnetic
• Computer probes tube
• sound
• magnetic
• light
• photogate
• temperature • pendulum
• Geiger Miller
• Computers
• Conservation of momentum apparatus
• Coulomb’s Law apparatus
• Cylinders, graduated
10 mL
50 mL
500 mL
1000 mL
• Discharge tubes, vacuum
• Eyedroppers
• Friction blocks with hooks
• Friction pads, fur
• Friction pads, silk
• Friction pads, wool
• Electroscopes, measuring
• Galvanometers, center zero
• Hall’s Carriages
• Hammers, rubber
• Hot plates
• Inclined planes
• Induction coils
• Lab masses, set, brass
• Lab masses, set, hooked
• Lamps with aluminum reflectors
• Light sources, intense, for ripple tank
• Magnets, bar
• Magnets, strong, bar, pair
• Magnets, strong, horseshoe
• Masses, small, known specific heat, metal,
(table continues)
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
33
Table 1.13—Continued
Materials and Equipment
Materials
and Equipment2
Recommended
Materials and equipment
• Masses, unknown specific heat,
metal, small
• Meter sticks
• Nails, large iron
• Nylon thread
• Optical bench sets
• Optics kits
• Pendulum bobs
• Pendulum supports
• Pith balls pair, graphite or metal coated
• Polarized lenses
• Power supplies: AC, DC
• Prisms
• Protractors
• Pulleys with clamp for table edge
• Recorder timers
• Resistors, 5–10 watts
5 ohms power rating
10 ohms power rating
15 ohms power rating
30 ohms power rating
• Resonance tubes, 50 cm
• Ring clamps
• Ring stands
• Ring stand screens
• Rings, 4”
• Ripple tank assemblies, complete
• Ripple tank wave generators
• Rods, rubber
• Rods, glass
• Rulers, metric
• Scales, spring
2.5 N
10 N
20 N
• Screwdrivers
• Slinkies
1
2
34
• Slotted weight sets
• Stopwatches
• Stroboscopes
• Switches, knife-blade
• Tagboards
• Thermometers, -2o–110o C, alcohol
• Trajectory apparatuses
• Tuning for sets, 256 Hertz and above
• Voltmeters, triple range: 0–1.5, 3, 30A
• Wave motion rope
• Weight hangers
• Wire, copper, insulated, 18 gauge
Consumables
• Carbon paper
• Dry ice
• Iron filings
• Paper clips
• Paper, white, craft
• Recorder timer carbon discs
• Recorder timer tapes
• Sheets of cardboard
• Tracing paper
• Twine, heavy cotton
• Wax
Audiovisuals
CD-ROM
• Laws of thermodynamics
• Photoelectric effect
• Role of electromagnetic spectrum
Charts
• Electromagnetic spectrum
• Periodic table of elements
Books
• Handbook of Physical Constants
Required and recommended safety equipment are specified in the law.
Recommended lists of tools were generated by analyzing the concept TEKS.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
School Facilities Standards
The state commissioner of education has established rules concerning the standards for school
facilities in Chapter 61.1033 of the Texas Administrative Code, School Facilities Standards. These
rules provide definitions and procedures, dates by which school facilities must be compliant,
certification of design and construction, minimum square foot requirements, educational adequacy,
and construction quality of facilities within school districts in Texas (Appendix A).
Renovations and New Construction
Renovations may vary from redesigning a
single science laboratory room to remodeling
furniture, cabinets, fixtures, electrical systems,
plumbing, and mechanical systems in an entire
science wing. Some extensive renovations
are classified as major space renovations, in
which case the school district must comply
with the current rules and regulations for new
construction.
Major Space Renovation
The School Facilities Standards define
construction projects as major space
renovations when at least 50 percent of the
gross area of a facility’s instructional space
is within the limits of the work. For example,
if the science area of a school consists of 10
classrooms and 5 laboratory rooms, and at
least 50 percent of the total area containing
the rooms is being renovated, the construction
project is classified as a major space
renovation.
Effective Date
New construction projects and major space
renovations that were approved by a local
school board of trustees after September 1,
1998 must comply with the regulations set
forth in School Facilities Standards.
The Commissioner’s Rules Concerning
School Facilities, Chapter 6, Subchapter
CC are being revised. These new rules,
concerning new construction and
renovations, will replace the current rules
discussed in this chapter.
Certification of Design and Construction
New construction or major space renovations
must be certified by the architect or engineer
to assure the school district that
• the architect or engineer has reviewed the
School Facilities Standards and used his/
her best professional judgment and care
consistent with the practice of architecture or
engineering in the state of Texas in executing
construction documents; and
• the certification documents conform to the
provisions of the School Facilities Standards,
except where indicated.
A copy of the Certification Compliance
Form, required of the architect or engineer as
specified under the Texas Administrative Code
Chapter 61.1033(c)(3)(A)-(C), can be found in
Appendix A.
Certification must include the following
provisions:
• The school district must notify and obligate
the architect or engineer to provide the
required certification.
• The architect’s or engineer’s signature
and seal must appear on the construction
documents to certify compliance.
• The school district must provide the
architect or engineer with the longrange school facility plan and/or the
educational specifications and building code
specifications for the facility.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
35
• The architect or engineer must perform
a building code search under applicable
regulations and must certify that the design
has been researched before finalizing it.
Square feet per pupil is calculated by dividing
the net interior space of a room by the
maximum number of students to be housed in
the room.
• The architect or engineer must certify that the
facility has been designed according to the
provisions in the School Facilities Standards,
based on the long-range facility plan and/or
educational specifications, building codes,
and documented changes to the construction
documents provided by the district.
Square feet per room is the net square footage
of the room that will house the students. The
net square footage of a room may include
exposed storage space (cabinets and shelves)
but does not include hallway space or storage
space, such as closets and preparation rooms,
that may be connected to the room.
• The building contractor or construction
manager must certify that the facility has
been constructed in accordance with the
construction documents.
• When the construction is complete, the
school district must certify that the facility
conforms to the design requirements
specified by the long-range plan and/or
education specifications and building code
specifications.
Educational Adequacy
A school district must provide instructional
space for students that meets the district’s
educational specifications based on the
requirements of educational adequacy. These
requirements state that a proposed new school
facility or a major space renovation of an
existing school facility must be designed
according to the requirements of the school
district’s educational program and the student
population that it serves.
Space Requirements
A school district may satisfy educational
adequacy requirements by using either the
standard for minimum square feet per pupil or
the standard for square feet per room. Room
size requirements are based on rooms that
will house 22 students at the elementary level
and 25 students at the middle and high school
levels.
36
The School Facilities Standards regulate
space and minimum square foot
requirements for science classrooms and
lecture/laboratory combination rooms.
There are no space or minimum square
foot requirements for a standard science
laboratory.
Science Classrooms
According to the definitions used to calculate
the required space for students, science
classrooms and lecture/laboratory rooms
built after September 1, 1998 must meet the
following requirements.
General Classrooms
• Prekindergarten–Grade 1 classrooms must
provide a minimum of 36 square feet per
pupil or 800 square feet per room.
• Elementary school rooms must provide a
minimum of 30 square feet per pupil or 700
square feet per room.
• Secondary school rooms must provide a
minimum of 28 square feet per pupil or 700
square feet per room.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
According to these requirements, a school
district may build new science classrooms for a
middle school at 700 square feet per classroom,
assuming that the average class load does not
exceed 25 students.
25 students x 28 sq. ft. = 700 sq. ft.
If the average student load for a science
classroom exceeds 25, the school district
should increase the square footage of the room
based on the increase above 25 for the average
student per period. The minimum size of the
room must not be less than 700 square feet.
If the average class load for a middle school
science class is 32 students per period, the
square footage should increase by 196 square
feet to accommodate the increase in the number
of students.
32 students x 28 sq. ft. = 896 sq. ft.
However, school districts may choose to use
the square feet per room standard; although
the room must accommodate 32 students, the
district may choose to build to the minimum
standard of 700 square feet.
Science Lecture/Laboratory Rooms
A lecture/laboratory room may be defined as a
science room that is designed to support both
standard classroom activities and laboratory
investigations. It should be equipped with
student stations and access to electricity, water,
and natural gas.
In addition, features found in a standard science
laboratory room should be present. A separate
area used as a standard classroom must be
contained in the same room. For examples of
lecture/laboratory rooms and other science
facility designs, please refer to Chapter Three.
Lecture/laboratory rooms must meet the
following minimum space requirements.
• Elementary school lecture/laboratory rooms
must provide a minimum of 41 square feet
per pupil or 900 square feet per room.
• Middle school lecture/laboratory rooms must
provide a minimum of 50 square feet per
pupil or 1,000 square feet per room.
The Texas Education Agency recommends
that no more than two science classrooms
share a single laboratory. The mandated time
requirements for high school­—40 percent
laboratory and field investigations—cannot be
met if more than two science teachers share
laboratory facilities. Similarly, elementary
and middle school teachers cannot adequately
provide laboratory experiences when more than
two teacher share a laboratory room.
• High school lecture/laboratory rooms must
provide a minimum of 50 square feet per
pupil or 1,200 square feet per room.
Science Laboratory Rooms
The School Facilities Standards do not address
a stand-alone science laboratory room. The
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
makes the following recommendations for
science laboratory minimum size that schools
involved in construction or renovation projects
may use as guidelines (Table 1.14).
Table 1.14
NSTA’s Science Laboratory Size Recommendations*
Grade Level
Number
Students
of
Square Feet/Room
Square Feet/Pupil
K–Grade 5
24
1,000
40
Grades 6–8
24
1,125
45
Grades 9–12
24
1,250
50
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
37
Overcrowding and Science Facilities
School districts in Texas are experiencing rapid increases in student enrollment that fill science
classrooms and laboratories beyond the recommended capacities. School districts may only have
building funds to accommodate existing student populations and may not include plans for future
growth.
Schools should be aware of the dilemma that teachers confront when meeting the required Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills. Teachers are required by law to conduct laboratory and field
experiences with their students while maintaining a safe learning environment in laboratories and
classrooms. However, these two rooms may not provide enough workstations for the students they are
assigned to teach.
Research has confirmed that overcrowded conditions adversely affect the safety of students and
teachers. Results reported in the Charles A. Dana Center’s Analysis of Laboratory Safety in Texas
confirm that minor accidents (Graph 1) and major accidents (Graph 2) are more likely to occur in
schools with an average student/class ratio greater than 24. The report defined a major accident as one
in which medical attention is required.
School administrators, therefore, should not be forced to decide whether to direct science teachers to
ignore state requirements and not require laboratory instruction, follow the TEKS and permit their
teachers to work in unsafe conditions, or reduce class loads for science teachers.
38
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Construction Quality
A school district must comply with local building codes, including meeting fire and mechanical,
electrical, and plumbing standards.
A district located in an area that has not adopted local building codes must adopt and use the
latest edition of either the Uniform Building Code, the Standard (Southern) Building Code, or the
International Building Code and related fire and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing codes, as well
as the National Electric Code.
School districts must also comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
and other local, state (including the Texas Accessibility Standards), and federal requirements, where
applicable.
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability
in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities,
transportation, and telecommunications.
To be protected by the ADA, a person must have a disability or a relationship or association with
an individual who has a disability. An individual with a disability is a person who has a physical or
mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities; a person who has a history or record
of impairment; or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.
Architectural Barriers Act
The Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) requires that buildings and facilities designed, constructed, or
altered with federal funds or leased by a federal agency comply with federal standards for physical
accessibility. ABA requirements are limited to architectural standards in new and altered buildings
and in newly leased facilities. They do not address the activities conducted in those buildings and
facilities.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public schools to make available
to all eligible children with disabilities a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive
environment possible and appropriate to their individual needs.
Texas Accessibility Standards
The Texas Accessibility Standards establish regulations for accessibility by individuals with
disabilities to public buildings and facilities; privately owned buildings or facilities leased or occupied
by state agencies; places of public accommodation; and commercial facilities (Appendix A).
These standards should be considered the minimum requirements for all spaces and elements of
building and facilities constructed after April 1, 1994. They further the equal treatment of people with
disabilities to the maximum extent possible and reasonable.
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
39
Reference Guide to Safety and Science Facilities
The following reference guide summarizes laws, rules, regulations and recommendations that school
districts should follow when designing science facilities and selecting safety equipment for their science programs. A complete version of the reference can be found in Appendix A.
Table 1.15
context
reference
status
Science must be taught in
kindergarten–grade 12
19TAC§28. Subchapter A,
Section 28.001
required
Science Essential Knowledge and
Skills (TEKS), kindergarten–grade 12
19TAC§112.
Subchapters (A–C)
required
Square foot per classroom and
lecture/laboratory room
19TAC. Part II,
§61. Subchapter CC,
Section 61.1033
required
Square foot standards for science
laboratories
Texas Education Agency,
National Science Teachers
Association
recommended
Certificate of Compliance for
architects, engineers, and contractors
19TAC§61.
Section 61.033(c)(3)(A–C)
required
Forty percent laboratory/field
instruction in grades 9–12 science
courses
19TAC. Part II, §74.
Subchapter A, Section 74.3
required
Laboratory/field instruction required
in science classes, grades 1–8
19TAC§112.
Subchapters (A–C)
required
Inclusion of students with disabilities
in science laboratory instruction
Public Law 105–17 Title I,
Section 101, Part A
required
Access to science facilities for
students and teachers with disabilities
Texas Accessibility Standards
Architectural Barriers Act,
Article 9102
required
(table continues)
40
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
Table 1.15—Continued
context
reference
status
Districts must provide free and
appropriate education in the least
restrictive environment possible.
Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA)
required
Districts must provide personal
protective equipment, such as:
• fume hoods
• ventilation systems
• eyewashes
• safety showers
• fire blankets
Texas Hazard
Communications Act
5TAC. Subtitle D, Chapter
502 Subchapter A, Section
502.001
Standards for safety equipment
safety showers
eyewashes
drench hoses
ANSI Z358.1
ANSI Z358.1
ANSI Z351.1
Standards for eye protection devices
25TAC. Part I, Chapter 195,
Subchapter F
Protection of students from conditions detrimental to learning, physical
health, mental health, and safety
19TAC. Part 7, Chapter 247
Districts provide eye safety goggles;
TEC. Chapter 38, Section
students and teachers must wear them. 38.005
required
recommended
required
required
required
Fire extinguishers in laboratory rooms
28TAC. Chapter 34,
Sections 34.501-34.523
required
Flammables and corrosives cabinets
National Fire Protection
Agency (NFPA)
recommended
Two exits in rooms of 1000 square
feet or larger
NFPA 45, Life Safety Code
101
Guidelines for maintaining the quality
of air in public schools
Voluntary Indoor Air Quality
Guidelines, 5TAC, Chapter
297
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12
required if adopted
locally
recommended
41
42
Science Facilities Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12